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As a driver, there needs to be a clear, coherent strategy from the ASLEF leadership regarding work notices which appears lacking at the moment. One option is simply to stick to overtime bans once the regulations are produced and wait till the next GE. Another is to explain to the rank and file...

With autumn upon us and the risk of low adhesion increasing, it makes good sense to know the areas of track with signal sections which are fairly short for the applicable linespeed. For example, I sign a section of line where maximum speed is 100mph for my type of train, if I suspected low...

I think Sunak is dodging rail possibly because of the dispute, the number of their own MPs who have decided to stand down at the next election suggests they aren't confident. I don't have much faith in Keir Starmer but I imagine he'll be better than scorched earth Tories. Latest polls shoow...

Personally, as an ASLEF member, I'd be quite content just to see the union avoid strikes and wait for either a change of government or the minimum service laws to be declared illegal. The government have absolutely no intention of negotiating in good faith because they know the odds of them...

When setting up the driving cab, always complete the same tasks in the same order every time. Not only does it make it much less likely you'll miss anything, it also helps to get you in the right state of mind before the journey begins. When I was driving DOO, I was always taught the "three...

OP, you could always take the office job, see how it goes and then apply for a driving role on NR metals, there's a lot of TOCs who have depots at the main London terminals. If you want to go driving you're in the best place in the country to start out. I used to work in an office in banking...

You need to start with what you have/don't have at your current TOC and take it from there. I was at a TOC which involved DOO commuter services into London, with very poor T&Cs (including salary) in an area which has a high cost of living. I'm now at a TOC with train managers who deal with the...

I don't work there, I suppose thinking about it there are three ex-Virgin TOCs, I'm at the all-diesel one. That said, I hear Kings Cross have a week of nights every four or five weeks due to a lot of heavy maintenance at Bounds Green. Can't say I'm sure about the others.

The quality of work looks fairly decent, guarded high-speed passenger work and from my understanding the Pendolino cab is one of the best from the driver's perspective. However I believe the base roster is tough, a series of five day weeks followed by a week of rest days. I don't know if there...

The whole implementation seems fairly vague, I wouldn't be surprised if there were serious legal challenges. In my opinion ASLEF shouldn't really need a strike fund, though there is a worrying number of train drivers who are hopeless at managing money. Far too many people who rely on overtime...

I presume the unions will club together on this and will challenge it in the courts as they did with the law that allowed agency workers to cover struck work. As soon as the Tories won in December 2019, it was obvious that they would try and attack the unions. At the time, the unions should...

I was diagnosed in early childhood and was lucky enough to get extra support in my education. I've been a qualified train driver for around five years, including some time as a driver instructor at my previous employer. I was quite fortunate at my initial train driving medical in that the...

A couple of things that haven't been mentioned much: The response a member of staff receives when reporting fatigue/unfitness will presumably depend a lot on their previous absence record. If it's someone who never goes off sick or is late and is consistently reliable, then presumably it'll be...

There's plenty of women with young children driving trains on the railway, though you in terms of lifestyle you need to consider the following: During the early stages of training you'll be spending approx. 8am-4pm in a classroom (the exact times may vary though these hours are typical), when...

Comfy seats too, I haven't encountered anything in standard class which is in the same league comfort-wise as the IC70 layout complete with table which the Mark 3s offered. I've seen quite a few recently who enjoy a good bevvy, especially on a daytrip. Good seating means repeat custom, being...

If we're to get people out of cars, especially on leisure routes, the service should ideally average a mile a minute and be comfortable. 2+2 on a Voyager is tight but I reckon with a reconfiguration they could be much more spacious, the acceleration helps to reduce delays as a result of the...

The Voyagers are seriously quick units in terms of acceleration, give one "the beans" from a standing start and it'll hit 60mph in well under a minute, I believe that's with them de-rated as well. What would make sense is to refit them all with 2+1 seating with decent legroom throughout and run...

Sounds like things have moved on from the "milk float" days in the valleys... https://aslef.org.uk/publications/aslef-significant-new-pay-deals-offered-wales-and-scotland-now-its-time-dft-do-same Edited to add: ASLEF have announced that their negotiations with TfW and ScotRail have reached a...

It sounds like what they'd be best doing is improving the conductor rail supply so that Desiro units aren't restricted to reduced power settings. It would help improve pathing as well as timekeeping since at the moment a Voyager, especially a 220, will easily out accelerate a Desiro on that route.

Historically the British Establishment were pretty good at "reading the room" when it came to popular opinion on the mainland. We've not had a proper revolution since the 17th century. However, the whole "pledge" thing is the latest indicator of many that they're losing their marbles. As for...